Can opener



Patented Get. 28, 1924.

y UNITED STATES JOHN S. HOPKINSQOF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAN OPENER.

Application ed August 17, 1921. Serial No. 492,967.

To all whom t may cof/wcm:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. HOPKINS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, Woodhaven, borough of Queens, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Can Opener, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to can openers and has for an object to provide an improved construction wherein two knives are presented.

Another object of the invention is to provide a can opener wherein a sliding knife is provided together with means for locking the same quickly in any adjusted position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a can opener with a knife and a proj ection acting as means for holding the knife in a proper operative position when the opener is in use.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a side view of a can opener embodying the invention, certain parts being broken away for better illustrating the construction.

Figure 2 is an edge view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view of the can opener shown in Figure 1 but looking at the same fro-m the opposite side.

Figure 4 is a sectional view through Figure 1 on line 4 4. Y

Figure 5 is an end view of the opener showing the same applied.

In the accompanying drawings it will be seen that the reference numeral 1 indicates a handle of any desired type, with which a bar 2 is associated, this bar being preferably rectangular and including any suitable means serving to retain an element (hereinafter described) fixed with respect to its body. Thus in the embodiment illustrated, a rack is provided which includes any desirable type of teeth 3 extending from the outer end of the bar to a point adjacent the handle.

The element referred to is in the nature of a cutter 4, which is slidably mounted on the bar 2, and is preferably made from onepiece, though if desired it may be built up of several parts. It will be noted that the cutter consists of a blade 5 merging into a plate 6 ywhich is turned over for forming overhanging flanges 7 and 8 whereby the plate 6 is properly held in place and allowed free reciprocatory movement. The cutter 4 is provided with a stop or catch 9 which is shown as integral with flange 7 though if desired could be made separate and secured in place in any desired manner so as to function as a catch or hook for locking the blade 5 against movement in either direction. It will be noted that the cutter 4 slides on the bar 2 and may be positioned for causing the knife 5 to operate at any desired point along this bar. Secured to the end of the bar 2 is a plate 10 which has a section 11 bent to one side as is more clearly shown in Figure 4 and which merges into a knife 12. The plate 10 is spaced from the bar 2 by a spacing filler 13, which, together with the plate 10 is held in place by any suitable means such as rivets 14 and 15 and serves to permit the sliding knife to pass under the part 10, whereby it will permit of the cutting to small circles in relatively small receptacles. Rivet 14 has one head countersunk as illustrated in Figure 2 while rivet 15 is provided with a head which projects beyond bar 2 and acts as a stop for limiting the movement of the cutter 4 in one direction. In addition to having the blade 12, plate 10 is provided with a neck 16 merging into a screw driver 17, said neck being formed so 'that the recesses 18 and 19 act as bottle cap removers.

The end of plate 10 is somewhat reduced and bent for forming a transverse section 20, said section having a straight portion 21 and a lug or spur 22 adapted to lit over the outside of a can as shown in Figure 5 when the knife 12 is being used. The eXtreme end of the section 2O is bent and sharpened for forming a spur 23 adapted to be inserted into the center of a can when the knife 5 is used. It will be noted that when the knife 5 is used, the device is acting as a circular can opener while the knife 12 acts in the usual manner of can openers with an up and down motion.

By reason of the use of the spacer 13, knife 5 may be adjusted to open a very smallcan or a very large can and the catch 9 will act continually as means for locking the knife in any desired position.

What I claim is A can opener, comprising a bar provided with a handle and formed with'a rack eX- tending from the enter end toward the hanbai' for retaining the knife on the bar, Said elle, a tool Carrying :plate secured to said bar spacing member acting Lto liold said plate a 10 and formeel at its iont end with a spur, e sn'liieient distance from tliebai' topermit one spacing member arranged between said plate of Said flanges to pass said plate as said and said bar, and a knife slidingly mountknife is `inovecl `to a :point near the outer end ed on said be?, said knife being formed With of said bar.

n catch for engaging the teeth of said rack and with flange members overlapping Said JOHN S. HGPKNS. 

